Many online entrepreneurs get stuck when it comes to writing their blog, newsletter or finding content for their pod or video casts. Here’s 10 quick ways to find content ideas!
- Check your inbox or sent folder in your email. Your clients have no doubt emailed you questions right? Take those questions and answer them! Leave out your client’s name of course.
- Take a look at your blog categories. Like most bloggers you probably have over 15 different categories that you have used in the past. Those are sure to spark some content ideas.
- Ask TwitterVille! If you are on Twitter just post a question such as “What do you want to see covered on my upcoming newsletter?”. This is my favourite because you will be giving your newsletter readers what they want.
- Ask your newsletter readers. Add a section in your newsletter called “Ask the Coach” and tell them how they can ask you a question. Answer this question in your next newsletter.
- Go through your archives. You can always reuse and recycle content. There is no rule against it and it would make your life a little easier.
- Ask for guest writers. Make a list of 5 people who would love to be a guest writer for your blog or newsletter. Email them now and ask for an article.
- Take a chapter from your book. If you have written a book, take a chapter or even part of a chapter and create an article from it. Don’t forget to let your readers know where they can buy your book.
- Review a book. You don’t have to read the whole book to review it. Review it as you read it. What did you just read about that inspired you? How did you enjoy the last chapter you read?
- Cover hot topics, but don’t over do it. What is a hot topic in the news and in your industry? What article can you write about it? How can you cover it in your podcast? Just don’t over do it. What I mean by this is, writing about what everyone else in your industry has written
- Interview an Expert. Who in your industry can you interview on your podcast? Rather post it on your blog? Make it easy on yourself and send them interview questions in an email and ask them to reply within the email. This way you can just copy and paste the answers into your blog.
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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December 1st, 2008
My favourite Newsletter system, Aweber, has introduced a fabulous new feature that will allow you to re-publish your newsletter on to Twitter automatically.
This means each time you publish your newsletter you can publish it onto your Twitter feed as well. Your Twitter followers would be notified and a link is provided for them to view your newsletter (saved on Aweber). This is a fantastic way to get more leverage out of your newsletters and put your newsletters in front of your Twitter followers (in case they aren’t already newsletter subscribers).
So how do you set this up? It’s simple. Each time you set up your newsletter click “syndicate” then enter your Twitter id and password. Once your newsletter is published a message on your Twitter page appears.
Example: Latest Newsletter Issue 32 http://aweber.com/b/f2RG
For more information visit Aweber’s blog post about this new feature: http://www.aweber.com/blog/new-features/twitter-email-newsletters.htm
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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WordPressBlogsites.com
October 24th, 2008
I used to take it personally when someone would unsubscribe from my newsletter. I would think:
- Am I not good enough?
- Am I not providing them with valuable information?
- Why are they so mean?
- Did I offend them?
- Did I promote products and services too much?
Luckily my coach would describe this as “marketing”. Marketing is the process in which you filter out who will buy from you and who won’t ever purchase from you.
He’s right. If they unsubscribe, let them unsubscribe. If they aren’t going to read your newsletter they are certainly not going to pull out their credit card to purchase a product or service from you. So let them go. Focus on those who are on your list and continuing to build your list. When they unsubscribe they are doing you a favour and although it hurts it’s just an icicle through the heart. It hurts at first but then the pain just melts away.
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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WordPressBlogsites.com
July 17th, 2008
Do you write a newsletter, a blog or other articles? Do you just post them in one place? Why? Make the most of your content by reusing and recycling your content. What does this mean? Take your newsletter article and put it on your blog. Take your blog post and put it on your newsletter. Take your articles and post them on your newsletter and blog. Take all 3 and post them on article banks. Article banks are online sources where you can deposit your articles for others to use on their blogs, newsletters, magazines, newspapers etc. They must keep your author bio on your article so you still get the credit for it. Sometimes they are used to find experts for interviews or teleclasses.
There are many Article Banks out there and you can spend hours posting your articles on each one of them, or you can post your article once and have a service post them on 100’s of other sites for you. This service is www.SubmitYourArticle.com and it will save you time and generate tons of traffic to your site. Make this part of your marketing homework for the day!
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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WordPressBlogsites.com
June 20th, 2008
This is a question I get all the time. Here’s just part of the long answer.
A website (a traditional site created with html) becomes a pain to maintain. You either need to know html, have expensive software to update it or have your web person update it when they have time.
A blogsite is easy to maintain and you can update from any computer in the world (yes macs and PCs) with internet access.
Google and other search engines are giving priorities to blogs over regular sites for many reasons. Two main reasons are that blogs are updated with fresh content more frequently than regular sites and blogs are structured in a way that makes it easier for Google to find, index and add them to their list of results.
With blogsites you can:
* create static pages such as “our services”, “our products”, “contact us” etc.
* maintain your own website
* blog by posting articles, tips, promotions, etc.
* interact with web visitors and start building a relationship with them
* promote your newsletter, services, affiliate programs
* get Google to fall in love with you and your site as it’s built with search engine optimization in mind
* take advantage of web 2.0 functionality
* add media to your site easily
All this and more is available in our book “Does This Blogsite Make My Wallet Look Fat? How to use a WordPress Blogsite to make money, attract clients and gain expert celebrity status”. To order your copy visit www.WordPressBlogsites.com
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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WordPressBlogsites.com
May 15th, 2008
It’s 2:30pm eastern. I’ve been up since about 9:30am. I was exhausted from yesterday’s long drive to Niagara Falls to speak at a conference. If I could, I would have slept all day as I feel my spring cold coming on. That will teach me to wear a jacket until the weather gets warmer.
I woke up and wrote my newsletter and a couple of blog posts. I finished at about 12:30 and took the dogs out. I came back to my laptop for a second before making my lunch and found that I had a techie emergency to fix. It was 2pm when I finally fixed the problem and made and ate my lunch.
2:10 back at the computer and trying to get through 80+ emails, while my internet access has seemed to slowed down at a snail’s pace! As I start thinking about how I wish my internet access could keep up with my brain, I think “Should I take a break? Make a coffee? Call my boyfriend and share how frustrated I am with the internet?”. Just then my “new email” notification pops up and I think “Please be good news. Please be good news…I could use some good news”. Here is the email I received:
Just a quick message to say that you produce THE MOST useful newsletter I have come across – and I have subscribed to many over the years! The whole two minute idea is just perfect for us busy coaches and I have clicked forward on links several times and integrated various suggestions into my business management. You are clearly committed to delivering true value to your network and I am so grateful.
With warm wishes
Corrina Gordon, CPCC
You Inspire Me Coaching (www.youinspireme.co.uk)
Cambridge, England
Wow! I’m sure glad I woke up today and wrote my newsletter. I’m also so happy that there are fabulous people out there who do acknowledge your work especially on the days that you need a virtual pat on the back! Thanks Corrina!
If you like this post, please consider buying me a coffee.Written by Sandra De Freitas
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WordPressBlogsites.com
April 8th, 2008
